Nap raising device



Nov. 10, 1970 v J. A. wooos NAP RAISING DEVICE Filed June 16, 1969 4 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I JOHN A. WOODS I INVENTOI? wf/ywl A TTOPNEVS Nov.10,197( .A woog 3,538,533

NAP RAISING DEVICE Filed June 16, 1969 2jSheets-Sheet 2 JOHN A. 005

//v TOP A TTORNEVS United States Patent O 3,538,533 NAP RAISING DEVICE John A. Woods, 517 W. San Gabriel, Fresno, Calif. 93705 Continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 714,999,

Mar. 21, 1968. This application June 16, 1969,

Ser. No. 839,772

Int. Cl. A471 13/02 US. Cl. 15-236 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A nap raising device including a supporting head on which rows of studs, of a given dimension, are mounted for movement through the nap of carpets and the like in a direction transversely of the studs, the peripheral surfaces of the studs having elongated sharpened edges therein which extend obliquely transversely of the studs and are disposed toward the head, the edges providing a lifting component when moved through the nap.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of applicants copending US. patent application Ser. No. 714,999, filed Mar. 21, 1968, for Nap Raising Device and now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device for lifting the nap of textile materials and more particularly to a nap raising device for shag-type carpets and the like.

The nap of shag-type carpets normally is different in several important respects from the nap of carpets commonly called plush-type carpets. These differences are principally in the length of the tuft and the nap thicke nesses. Shag-type carpets frequently employ tufts formed of looped strands of selected fibers such as wools and synthetics, for example, of approximately three and oneeighth inches in length, while plush-type carpets are provided with tufts having a length of approximately one and eleven-sixteenths inches. The resulting difference in nap thickness is substantial since for the shag-type carpet and rug, a nap thickness of about one and one-half inches is provided while the nap thickness of the plush carpet is approximately thirteen-sixteenths inches.

Another important distinction between plush carpets and shag carpets is in the spacing of the tufts. For plush carpets, the tufts normally are fixed at distances of approximately one-eighth inches apart in rows spaced a distance of three-sixteenths of an inch, while for shag carpets, the tufts are fixed at about one-fifth of an inch apart in rows spaced approximately three-eighths of an inch apart.

Therefore, it should be appreciated that when compared to shag carpets and rugs, the tufts of plush carpets and' rugs are about one-half as long, about twice as closely spaced, and provide a nap which is about only one-half as thick. The importance of these differences may be understood when it is appreciated that when subjected to similar use and traffic, the nap of plush carpets and rugs remains substantially erect, while that of shag carpets and rugs has the tendency to become flattened and compacted thereby creating a generally unsightly appearance.

Heretofore, various implements, such as combs, rakes and stiff brooms, have been utilized in the effort to restore the nap of plush carpets and rugs after the same has been pressed down as a result of cleaning or by usage. However, where such devices have been employed in the restoration of shag carpets they tend to snag the tufts, exer cise an erratic and uneven nap lifting effect, are tedious Patented Nov. 10, 1970 'ice SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a nap raising device for shag carpets which operates in a reliable manner.

Another object is to provide an improved nap raising device for shag carpets which is light in weight and has a low silhouette for ease of operation in corners and under and in-between furniture.

Another object is to provide an improved nap raising device which is highly effective in reaching through the nap of shag carpets to the backing at the base of the carpet.

Another object is to provide a device having a plurality of studs of selected dimensions which minimizes snagging and shreading of the tufts of shag carpets and rugs and yet restores the tufts to an attractive condition by elevating the strands hereof as the selectively dimensioned studs are passed between the tufts.

Another object is to provide such studs having obliquely transverse upwardly disposed, sharp, tuft engaging shoulders which when drawn through the tufts of a shag carpet in one direction lift the tufts and when drawn in the opposite direction have no substantial tuft depressing effect.

Another object is to provide a stud in a nap raising device which is circumscribed by notches oblique to the length thereof defined on opposite sides by upwardly disposed, sharp nap lifting shoulders and downwardly disposed, rounded, nap shedding shoulders.

Another object is to provide an improved nap raising device which pulls and lifts the nap from the base thereof rapidly and easily in response to repetitive motions such as pushing and pulling and the like.

The aforementioned and other objects and advantages are achieved by a device including a supporting head from one side of which rows of studs project, the studs being notched or grooved and having edges extending obliquely transversely thereof disposed to point toward the supporting head, the edges providing a lifting component when moved through the nap. The grooves are variously patterned to provide lifting edges on opposite sides of the studs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a nap raising device embodying the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a larger scale bottom perspective view of the device showing the arrangement of the nap raising studs.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the studs of the device of FIG. 2.

FIGS. 4 through 6 are enlarged side elevations of different forms of nap raising studs of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary section taken in a plane passing through the axis of a stud and illustrating the typical sharpened edge formed on the stud.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are enlarged side elevations of one of the studs of FIG. 2 illustrating an operative relationship thereof with the strands forming the nap as the stud is moved in opposite directions.

FIGS. 10 and 11 are plan views of the studs illustrating the relationship of the strands as the studs are moved in opposite directions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a nap raising device embodying the principles of the present invention and designated generally by reference numeral 10. The device includes an operating handle 12 secured to the top of a supporting head 14 on the underside of which are mounted a plurality of depending teeth or studs 16. As shown in FIG. 2, the studs 16 are arranged in spaced intervals in several rows and are secured at one end thereof to project from the underside of the head 14 in substantially right-angular or normal relation therefrom.

As shown in FIG. 3, each stud 1 6 is formed with a mounting end 20 suitably secured in the head 14 and a rounded distal end 22. The peripheral surface of the stud is notched to define a helical groove 24 which extends circumferentially of the stud from its distal end 22 to the mounting end 20 thereof. As seen in FIG. 7, the groove 24 has a shoulder 26 of a depth sufficient to permit the stud to guidingly engage a fibrous strand of the nap and includes an upwardly and inwardly facing surface extending to the periphery of the stud 16 and thereat providing a sharpened edge 28 extending obliquely transversely of the stud and pointed or disposed toward the mounting end 20. Preferably, the incline of the shoulder is reversed at opposite sides of the studs.

From the inner edge of the surface of the shoulder 26 there extends upwardly a surface 30 which faces downwardly and outwardly and merges with the peripheral surface of the stud in a rounded edge 32. Thus, when the stud 16 is moved to the left as viewed in FIGS. 3, 8, 9 and 10 the sharpened edges 28 on the side of the stud nearer to the viewer engage the individual strands of fiber of the nap adjacent thereto, the oblique disposition of each sharpened edge providing a lifting component which raises the strands of the nap. When the stud is moved in the reverse direction, or to the right in FIGS. 3, 8, 9 and 10, the sharpened edges 28 on the other side of the stud perform the same lifting function on the strands of the nap adjacent thereto. During reverse movement, the strands of the nap raised by the sharpened edges on the near side ride over the adjacent rounded edges 32, as illustrated in FIG. 9, and are released from the grooves so that the raised position of the nap is not disturbed or depressed by the shoulder to any appreciable extent. With the next movement to the left, the near side sharpened edges 28 engage lower points on the raised nap for further lifting the same. The sharpened edges on the other side-of the stud do the same when moved to the right.

Accordingly, by repetitive to and fro movement of the studs, the strands of the tufts are progressively lifted until the distal ends of the studs have worked their way through to the backing at the base of the nap. Although the action of the stud for raising the nap has been described in connection with to and fro movement of the stud, it will be appreciated that the sharpened edges 28 also have a lifting effect with the stud moving in a circular or spiral path. In fact, any movement of the stud through the nap transversely of the stud has a lifting effect on the nap.

In view of the fact that the tufts normally are spaced at about three-eighths of an inch apart, in at least one direction, it is preferred that the studs 16 be provided with an outside diameter approximating the spacing of the tufts so that the studs may be passed between the individual tufts.

In practice, it has been found that the diameter of the studs is important as it is desirable that each of the studs ultimately penetrate the nap to the backing member, while yet being capable of engaging the strands near their base as the studs are passed between adjacent tufts, for purposes of lifting the individual strands without snagging and shreading the strands of the tufts. If the diameter of the studs is greater than the spacing between the tufts, or three-eighths of an inch, penetration of the studs is inhibited and therefore the studs tend to mark the surface, and on the other hand, where the diameter is less than one-quarter of an inch, the studs tend to be ineffective for separating the tufts and tend to snare and shread the strands of fiber resulting in a collection of shreaded fiber between the studs. As a practical matter, studs having a diameter of five-sixteenths of an inch are preferred, since studs of this diameter tend to readily penetrate the nap while achieving a separation and lifting of the strands of the individual tufts.

Another advantage which is realized from use of studs having a diameter approximating the spacing of the tufts is that as the studs are passed between the individual tufts the inherent resiliency of the strands of fiber tends to urge the strands into a seated relationship with the helical grooves 24 so that the desired lifting effect is enhanced.

The studs 16 can be variously notched for disposing the sharpened edges in different arrangements. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a stud 16a can be notched in a chevron pattern for providing sharpened lifting edges 28a and rounded merging edges 32a. FIG. 5 shows a stud 16b which is notched in a cross-hatched pattern to provide angularly disposed lifting edges 28b and rounded edges 32b. FIG. 6 illustrates a stud 16c notched at random to provide sharpened edges 280 having a lifting effect and rounded edges 32c. From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that other patterns of notching may be employed to provide sharpened edges on the stud which have a lifting effect on the nap regardless of the direction of movement of the stud therethrough.

OPERATION The operation of the device of the present invention is believed to be clearly apparent and is briefly summarized at this point. With the handle of the device held by an operator so as to dispose the studs 16 substantially vertically on the surface of the nap, the device is manipulated so that the studs penetrate the nap and move in a direction transversely thereof with the studs in substantially vertical attitude. As the studs pass between the individual tufts, the lowermost sharpened edges of the notches at one side of each of the studs engages the strands of the nap and exert an upward pull thereon for partially lifting the same while releasing the strands at the opposite side of the studs at the rounded edges 32 for thus obviating any campacting or downward depression of the strands. Upon a reversing of the direction of travel through the nap, the strands are released at said one side, while being lifted at the opposite side of each of the studs 16. With repeated movement, the nap is progressively raised and the distal ends of the studs work their way through to the backing at the base of the nap, after which the device is withdrawn leaving the strands of the tufts of the nap in a raised condition and presenting an improved appearance.

There has thus been provided a nap raising device of improved form and economical construction which is highly effective in raising the nap of shag carpets and the like and which operates in a reliable manner for rapidly and easily performing its purpose.

Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for lifting the nap of shag carpets having a nap formed of individual tufts of multiple strands of fibrous material fixed to a backing comprising:

(A) means defiining a planar head adapted operatively to be seated above the nap in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the backing;

(B) a handle extending upwardly from said head for manipulating the head back and forth over the nap; and

(C) a plurality of substantially parallel, straight studs extended downwardly from the head for carpet engagement, each of the studs including means defining along its surface multiple portions of a groove, each portion having a downwardly facing rounded shoulder at the upper edge thereof, and an upwardly facing sharpened shoulder at the lower edge thereof, said portions being so disposed as to extend obliquely to the length of the stud so that as the plurality of studs are moved through the nap, the upwardly facing sharpened shoulders of the portions of the grooves engage and elevate the strands of the nap while the downwardly facing rounded shoulders of the portions of the grooves shed the nap for thereby avoiding depression of the strands.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein each of the studs is provided with an outside diameter within a range of three-eighths of an inch to one quarter of an inch and a working length of approximately thirteen-sixteenths of an inch.

3. The device according to claim 2 wherein the outside diameter of each of the studs is five-sixteenths of an inch.

4. The device according to claim 1 wherein the outside diameter of each of the studs is equal to the spacing in at least one direction of the tufts of the nap.

5. The device according to claim 4 wherein each of the studs is cylindrical and the elongated sharpened shoulders are formed as a helix extending along the surfaces of the studs.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said portions of a groove are disposed at opposite sides of said stud.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the portions of a groove disposed at one side of said stud are oppositely inclined relative to the portions disposed at the opposite side of said stud.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 433,006 7/1890 Kline 119-92 43 6,744 9/1890 Schofield 119-92 778,662 12/1904 Hall 21 961,992 6/1910 Underwood 20-92 1,971,726 8/ 1934 Norwood 85-21 2,084,603 6/ 1937 True 15--142. 2,679,084 5/ 1954 Heitt 26-3 1 FOREIGN PATENTS 16,288 8/1895 Great Britain. 640,717 7/ 1950 Great Britain.

31,992 4/ 1956 Germany.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner L. G. MACHLIN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

